Canal enthusiasts near Nantwich have celebrated a milestone in helping maintain South Cheshire’s waterways.

Members of the Shropshire Union Middlewich Branch Adopters (SUMBA) celebrated their 100th volunteer canal work party at Aqueduct Marina, Church Minshull.

The group was formed in April 2014 in response to a call from the Canal & River Trust, the charity which cares for 2,000 miles of waterways.

SUMBA entered the record books by adopting five-and-a-half miles of the Shropshire Union Canal from Barbridge Junction to Church Minshull, near Nantwich – the longest adopted stretch of canal in England.

Most adoption groups look after a mile or less.

And in just over two and half years, their numbers have grown to more than 50 volunteers, with around 25 men and women regularly helping with each activity.